READING, PA (March 30, 2011) – Alyssa Stahly hit a walk off single to center field and Devon Denker pitched a gem in a 2-1 win over Penn State Harrisburg in the second game of a North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon. Harrisburg won the opener by a score of 13-10.
Harrisburg (4-11, 1-1 NEAC South) recorded a run in the top of the fifth and Berks countered with one of its own with an RBI single by Marissa Ruggiero. Denker then pitched a perfect sixth inning and worked around a one-out single in the seventh to keep the contest knotted at 1-all.
Ruggiero led off the bottom half with a single and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brittany Hicks. With two outs, Stahly lined a single in front of the center fielder to score Ruggiero with the game winner for Berks (6-11, 3-3 NEAC South).
Denker worked out of trouble throughout the game. She got a double play in the first inning and started a 1-2-3 double play in the fifth. In the second inning with bases loaded and one out, Denker recorded a strikeout and forced a groundout to third base to end the threat.
In the first game Berks led 7-1 going into the top of the sixth, but Harrisburg countered with an 11-run inning to take the lead for good.
Ruggiero went 2-for-3 with three RBI in the opening game. Ashley Barbiero added two hits and two runs batted in, while Ashley Heeman drove in two runs. Shari Lynn Kluth (2-for-5), Hicks and Vicki Graver each scored two runs.
Larissa Tenley struck out nine batters in 5.2 innings of work. Denker pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out one.
The Nittany Lions will return to action on Saturday, April 2 at 1 p.m. in a NEAC doubleheader with Penn State Abington. The game also marks the Nittany Lions "Strikeout Cancer" game with benefits going to cancer research.
